


Age is a State of Mind

by Clover123ie



Category: Howl's Moving Castle - All Media Types, Nightrunner Series - Lynn Flewelling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Howl's Moving Castle Fusion, Friendship is Magic, M/M, Pre-Slash, Secret Sakor, cinamonpowder9506, this one's for you, yes you
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-29
Updated: 2020-12-29
Packaged: 2021-03-10 21:07:06
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,647
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28413627
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Clover123ie/pseuds/Clover123ie
Summary: Secret Sakor Fic 2020The real Hero of this story is a cat, but she's a modest lady, and so this tale is about a young old man who cannot say anything about the curse that has been laid upon him. Lost and lonely, the man must find a way back to his true love of archery. And maybe find love with another man? who knows!
Relationships: Alec í Amasa/Seregil í Korit
Kudos: 2





	Age is a State of Mind

**Author's Note:**

  * For [cinamonpowder9506](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=cinamonpowder9506).



> Despite my laptops dying on my at the most inconvenient moments, I did it! I wrote this story for my secret sakor. I really hope you all enjoy it.
> 
> inspired by Howl's Moving Castle and I do not own any of these characters.

ACHOO!

Alec’s third sneeze rattled his bones to the point where he rubbed a shivering hand along his sides to ensure everything remained in its rightful place. All ribs accounted for Alec sucked in a lungful of air so cold it hurt his teeth. If he didn’t break something by the end of this Gods’ awful winter, he just might live to see another one. 

This train of thought caused Alec to wince slightly and sigh, his breath thick as anything in the air before him, at his gnarled hands. They were starting to go a little blue around the tips, blending with the varicose veins. They couldn’t close all the way. Useless, he thought, as he tried to close them for the nth time and was rewarded with a searing pain of bone scraping against bone. They were the hands of the old and infirm. He couldn’t string a bow let alone have the strength the pull back for a shot. The itching in his fingers was more of longing than cold when Alec stroked the worn string of his bow.

Fortunately, Alec’s eyes were as sharp as ever, or so they seemed to be, as a slight black creature moved swiftly threw the brush towards him. With only a brief glance, it looked too small to be able to do any real damage, but it was big enough that it being a wayward new-born bear cub was a strong possibility. And were a babe be, a mother will never be far behind. At least, most mothers were.

Alec braced himself to run – well, hobble – as fast as his thin legs could carry him, when a shrill meow broke the thin ice silence of the morning. Out of the brush strode quite a striking cat. The feline was bigger than any cat Alec had ever laid eyes on and its intelligent eyes looked startlingly into his own. It took Alec more time than he would like to admit, but he knelt and made a clicking sound to try and entice the cat over, which it did with surprising speed. All cats Alec had met before had been aloof and seemed to look upon their human caretakers with a combination of pity and tolerance. At least, that is what Alec had always thought.

However, this cat purred as it chased Alec’s hands with its head, and if he tried to pet it anywhere else, it would manoeuvre around until Alec was stroking it behind its thickly tufted ears. The mottled brown fur was delightfully soft and looked were cared for, suggesting this wasn’t some common stray. He smiled for the first time since the curse.

“Where do you hail from little friend?” Alec murmured as he felt the cold enter his bones to marrow. It was his que to get moving.

If Alec thought getting down was hard, getting up was entire song and dance. He huffed with the effort and almost fell when the cat increased the volume of its purrs and got under his feet in a bid for more attention. Alec made a shooing motion with his hands and gave the animal a final thin smile before walking towards the path that would hopefully lead to Rhiminee. He didn’t know what he would do when he actually got to the city, he had never really paid much, if any, attention to the elderly in any other towns he had previously visited. Which in retrospect was dreadful, you didn’t cease to exist when you grew old.

The trees were getting thinner and the early morning bird song replaced by the soft murmur of humans selling their wares even the bitterest of cold. Although it pained Alec, he supposed he would have to beg. Even at his lowest point, he had never sunk as low as to plead for even a stale loaf of bread, even a single slice. His stomach felt as cold and barren as a cave, the echoes of hunger there but it had been long enough that it didn’t sting anymore.

Lost in thoughts, Alec didn’t notice his small companion until he almost trod on a paw. The cat screeched and it was such a shock to his system that stumbled with the left several steps before falling headfirst into a conveniently placed bush. The leaves were so cold that they as well have been little frozen knives to his thin skin. Hissing in pain Alec lifted his head slightly in a daze and came face to face with an onion – a face carved into it. It was the last thing Alec expected to see and he reared back, his spine moaned in protest.

Reeling from the sudden turn of events, Alec watched as the cat meows softly and pawed at a loose piece of string on, what Alec now recognised as, a scarecrow. Alec of yesterday would had shrugged and walked away without a second thought. Old Alec looked into the gouges that stood for eyes on the onions face, saw his almost imperceptible smile and couldn’t let the frost consume it without doing something.

The scarecrow was heavier than he expected.

“You are full of surprises, aren’t you? Huh, I really have gone mad. Just look at me talking to a scarecrow. And you of course, don’t meow at me like that”

There was no way that Alec could even dig a hole for the wooden post, but he leaned the scarecrow against the closest tree and patted it on the shoulder.

“Farewell old thing, I’m sure you’ll be fine”

And then Alec shuffled of towards the city, with the cat leading the way, and nothing would stand in his way this time.

It suddenly made sense that the cat’s owner would reside in the city. It would suddenly bound towards the city but stop every so often and look back, as if to check that Alec was still following. It was endearing, and a shame that he would probably never see his feline friend again after today.

The trees grew increasingly sparse until there were only stumps, remnants of trees as far as Alec could see. The first house on the outskirts of the city was small and covered in such a dense wall of ivy it looked as though nature was trying to claim the house for its own. The only feature that marked it as habitable was a rectangular door, faded but seemed sturdy enough.

Alec had no intention of disturbing its inhabitants when a dirty little face popped halfway out the door. It was a woman, and her deep voice felt was soothing to Alec’s ear. It seemed like an age since someone had addressed him.

“Hullo, what you doin’ out on such a cool morn?”

Alec opened his mouth to reply but didn’t get the chance. As when the woman’s face suddenly went white beneath the grime and quickly closed the door.

Now, Alec of yesterday wouldn’t have thought twice about shrugging his shoulders and moving on. but the person had taken such a shock, it would be rude not to see if they were alright. Shuffling up the house, it was clear that who ever lived here did not do so in peace. The outer walls were covered in symbols to ward off evil. What looked like small bags of incense hung from the door frame and what looked like woodworm from afar were more symbols etched into the wood.

Alec hesitated, but knocked lightly on the door.

“Be gone!” she shrieked, and there seemed to be a faint sound of sniffling that came before the tears of a child.

“I just wanted to see if you were ok. I don’t mean any harm.”

The person on the other side gave a mirthless laugh.

“You look harmless, but you can’t fool me twice. I know not to trust my eyes. Get you and your daemon away from this place and stay there”

Despite Alec’s protests, there was not another word from the house, only the shush and whimper of what he assumed to be mother and child. Alec could see in his minds eye, a mother, hardened from a life of labour leaning against the threat with small hands clutched in her skirts and small face hidden to stifle tears.

Confused, Alec looked to the cat, who had hopped onto a tree stump and had begun the arduous process of licking its paws and smoothing its ears.

Was the woman more of a dog person?

This time Alec did shrug, he had only meant to be friendly. Perhaps the woman was one of the folk that began to itch and swell in the presence of such creatures. It was believed that in their past life they had harmed a cat someway in a past life and they lived in penance. It was why people tended to treat cats with respect, leaving out bowls of watered milk and scraps for the local strays.

Oh well, Alec sighed, perhaps he would have better luck deeper into the city.

He didn’t.

They didn’t shout, but Alec could see their fear in the whites of their eyes and the crosses of their fingers as he passed. Even the other beggars looked up at him in scorn and spat in his path. He wasn’t expecting a warm welcome, let alone being acknowledged at all. At least they didn’t approach him, he thought, as a man tugged the young boy, most likely his son, firmly out of Alec’s path and spoke is harsh whispers before disappearing down an alley.

_Daemon._

_Witch._

_Evil._

Alec might as well have walked into a pit of vipers for all the locals hissed and slithered away. There would be no point even sitting down, if this welcome was indication, he would get no pity here – but he couldn’t physically move his feet anymore. Having reached a wall he lent his aching back against the frosted wood and slowly slid down into a tightly curled ball. The cat wasn’t far behind and rubbed at his hands. Keeping his head down, Alec slowly stroked the cat from head to tail, trying to focus on it’s warmth and loud purrs than the hurtful and confusing allegations rising around him.

The ground before Alec darkened. He looked up just in time to see a small thin man and the brown boot headed swiftly in the direction of the cat.

With reflexes he didn’t think he still had, Alec shoved the cat quickly to side just before his wrist burst into searing pain.

“Your kind ain’t welcome here, get out before I kick ya out”

“You show ‘em Nat” a faceless voice called from the sidelines.

It would be wise to say nothing and move along. Better yet, it would be sensible to just fall on his knees and plead for their forgiveness, regardless of his ignorance to the cause of their hostility in the first place. These thoughts were fleeting compared to the anger that warmed him more than any house fire. He looked up at the man, Nat, and smiled.

“what’s that pup? My ears aren’t what they used to be” Alec said, chine raised in defiance.

Nat growled, and looked like he was about to repeat himself; his words, the kick, both? Alec couldn’t tell, he didn’t take his bright blue eyes off the murky brown of the man.

“Ruetha!”

The exclamation echoed through the street, loud enough to startle the pigeons that the cat had been quietly stalking during the entire confrontation.

Alec leaned around the leg of the man confronting him, curious to see the source of the disturbance – his eyes widened. There stood an unusually beautiful man. The vibrant blue dye of the stranger’s tunic and matching feather cap caught Alec’s attention first. It was flamboyant and spoke of wealth and frivolity. His gaze moved to the young man’s face. Although beardless, there was a slight crease by the skin of his dark eyes and an ease of movement that spoke of experience. He wasn’t overly tall, but his hands on his hips and wide leg stance gave the impression of confidence, whether that confidence was warranted, Alec was doubtful.

When the man spoke, it was light and with a slight lisp.

“I could scour the continent for that cat, but she won’t be found until she deems it time” a conspiratorial wink was sent Alec’s way, but Alec just looked away, feeling kind of embarrassed at the heat in his cheeks. Eyes off the man, Alec noted with surprise that, without him noticing, the other villagers had vacated the area, leaving only the two strangers and himself.

Nat had quickly gone from invincible tyrant to started doe. His hands where clenched but remained trembling at his sides.

The stranger in blue took a step forward, Nat took an answering step back.

“your friends seem to have the right idea; I think you should follow my cat’s example and get lost”.

Growling, Nat spat in the other man’s path, not to hit him, but close enough to get the point across. And then he was gone, leaving Alec alone with the stranger that had inspired such widespread fear. It didn’t make much sense to Alec. Sure, people of a higher status could be intimidating, but never to the point that a group of nosey citizens felt the need to hide away. There was more to this man than there appeared to be, there had to be. Alec cursed his innate curiosity as he felt it peak. But before he could speak, the man strode over and took Alec’s aching hand delicately in his own, flexing it up, down and side-ways.

Up close and focused on his hand, Alec cautiously raised his eyes and caught a better glance of the man’s face, absently noting that his eyes resembled that of a stormy sea. When he hissed at his hand being turned a certain way the man smiled.

“You’ll have the mother of all bruises tomorrow but that’s about the worst it, you got lucky.”

Alec narrowed his eyes at the absence of the previously noticeable lisp but refrained from mentioning it.

“Thanks to you.” Alec said.

They remained in place as if frozen by the cold winds that flowed through them. Alec was beyond confused now to a little frustrated. The man had what he came for, Ruetha, yet still he lingered.

Alec unfolded each limb with care. Joints creaked as he used the wall behind him for leverage. Standing up Alec and the man were of a height, perhaps in Alec’s prime he would have had a few inches on him. He refused to meet the eyes of the other, choosing to watch Ruetha skulk of towards an alley.

“You’ll lose your cat again if you’re not careful.”.

The man smiled and didn’t even twitch to turn in search of his cat. 

“she’s never truly lost, I know where to find her when she calls” he said, eyebrow raised as if he were explaining something to a child. At that, Alec decided, this guy was just weird and perhaps the citizens of Rhiminee were on to asomething.

There was nothing overtly dangerous about this man, but Alec knew better – now- than to trust things at first glance.

“Well then, it was a pleasure to meet you, but I really must be on my way” Alec said, shuffling slowly and never turning his back to the man. He raised a fluid eyebrow. How a single eyebrow could accuse him of falsehood and laugh at him, Alec was not quite certain.

Having ventured far enough that he felt comfortable to turn, Alec was struck by a sudden internal wail. He didn’t have anywhere to go. He had no home, a-and his father was dead.

“The way you were sitting here suggests otherwise” The man drawled.

“And what’s it to you?” Alec said, teeth grinding.

“us outcasts need to stick together, don’t you think?”

It seemed like getting answers out of this stranger would be somewhat of an impossibility, blood out of stone, his father was fond of saying. Alec turned slightly only to see a slight frown flick to fast into a wide smile.

“Let invite you to my home for the night, from the look of those clouds we’re in for a storm.”

Angry clouds covered the distant sun, casting the surrounding area in shadow turned the snow beneath their feet into ash. Alec had received similar propositions before, when his hair was thick and shone blonde in the sun. The first time it happened he had almost said yes, until his father literally picked Alec up and threw him over his back. They had a long discussion that night about the old saying ‘when whores are few a boy will do’ and Alec kept his distance from men from then on and he and his father never talked about it again. A swift glance at his hands reminded Alec of his current status and the man couldn’t have any interest in him that way. What did he want?

During Alec’s thought process, the man had scooped Ruetha into his arms and was now patiently awaiting a response.

Well, Alec thought, I may die if I got to this man’s house, but I will certainly perish in the coming storm. The wind was picking up already and cutting through Alec’s thin clothes.

“I accept your offer kind sir” Alec said around chattering teeth.

The man’s smile looked a great deal more genuine as he dug his free hand that wasn’t holding the cat into his pocket and brandished a thin red twig. Before Alec could even ask what it was, the man snapped it in two. A small blue sphere flew out the stick and hovered before them.

“Thero we will be having a guest, transport for two and Ruetha from Rhiminee square.”

A soft deep voice echoed the blue orb.

“oh ok, just a transport, splendid. You know a thank you every now and again would not go unappreciated Seregil.”

The man – Seregil – laughed.

“Noted. And you should probably hurry up with that transport, I think our guest may or may not be close to fainting”

Seregil surged forward and grasped Alec’s non-injured arm as the old man’s legs buckled.

“Wha-” Alec gasped.

Then he didn’t exist. And then he did, albeit a less sturdy version. Alec’s vision spun away from him and he stepped back in an attempt to follow it only to collide with another groaning body. The blur of black and blue fell backwards and as Alec’s vision gradually stilled, he saw the man – Seregil – had sat down on a worn, but plush, brown armchair, head in his hands and his hair in disarray.

“Ugh” Seregil groaned “Remind me never to do that again”

“I have, multiple times”

The voice from the orb given form. An uncommonly tall man walked gracefully into the room. His sharp eyes softened when they fell on Alec’s as he reached out to grasp Alec’s shoulder. Alec let him.

“He is an idiot, but an idiot that means well. I am Thero, it is a pleasure to meet you Alec.

It was too much. It was all too much. One minute ago Alec had been standing in early morning snow, the next; he was right in the middle of a tastefully decorated living room. The floor was covered in a dark carpet with countless swirling symbols that met in the middle to resemble a vortex. Alec’s hand’s burned from the drastic change in temperature, as the room was heated by a large ornate fireplace engraved with hundreds of dragons. Nothing else in the room stood out to Alec, but he could already tell this home was lived in by the numerous mugs left on the coffee table, or the stacks of books left on every available surface. Alec had only ever seen one book, the small shabby bible his father had read to him every Sunday. But he had never read one himself. He felt pretty intimidated.

“How do you know my name?” was all Alec asked, out of the vast sea of questions he was harbouring.

Thero chuckled and removed his hand from Alec’s shoulder.

“That will be answered in time...” _wow_. Vague much, Alec thought. “... must had have patience to find what one seeks. Now, can I offer you anything, tea, coffee, dried fruits?”

Alec continued to glance around, said nothing, but his stomach gave an affirmative grumble.

“Excellent, I will be back promptly. I am sure Seregil will be a gracious host in my absence”

Seregil didn’t respond until Thero nudged him. He still looked dazed, but Seregil’s head snapped to attention.

“Yup. Sure, whatever you need Thero”

Thero nodded and slipped away with far more pose then a man of his height should have.

It took several moments before Seregil made an attempt to stand. He pushed himself out of the chair, blinked his eyes hard a few times before he rubbed them with clenched fists.

“Sorry, magic just doesn’t agree with me” Seregil said, answering at least one of Alec’s questions.

Magic? Alec decided to just roll with it.

“Why do you use it then?” Alec asked.

A slow grin replaced the pained grimace on Seregil’s face.

“You’re taking this remarkably well...”

I’m not, Alec thought, but kept that to himself.

“...and I don’t. Use magic that is, Thero is the mastermind behind the curtain. I just reap all the benefits, and the downsides, as you see, I feel like death.”

“Where am I?” Alec asked.

“Full of questions, aren’t you? That’s fair. Well I can tell you that we’re a fair way away from Rhiminee. Truthfully I don’t even know where we are. Don’t make such a face! We’re perfectly safe. Thero just likes to move the house around every couple of months. He says it’s better to be safe than sorry.”

“What are you running from?” Alec asked.

There was no reply to that. Instead, Seregil just laughed, his smile a bit too wide as he guided Alec towards the door.

“I think a better question would be, what are _you_ running from? But there is all the time in the world to address that, trust me. Come on, let me give you the grand tour” Seregil said and grasped Alec’s bony wrist firmly in his hand. And then they were off.

The hallway was vast, straight as a pin and just as narrow. Alec was forced to dodge various thin tables and brushed against countless paintings on the wall as Seregil pulled him in a single file march. Alec expected for his arthritic knees to give him trouble, but his strides were smooth and he had little trouble keeping up with Seregil, down the hallway, who gave brief historical facts about the décor.

Suddenly they stopped, Seregil’s eyes fixed on a blank space on the wall. Alec was about to ask what the problem was when Seregil brushed his hands over the painting that had just appeared. His hands laid softly on face captured with vibrant colours. The man was old, older than Alec was, but there was humour in the crows feet of his eyes and a joyous smile almost completely hidden beneath a long smooth beard of the purest white. The portrait was bigger than the others and obviously important, but the kind of importance that made even Alec feel reluctant to ask questions.

Abruptly, Seregil resumed walking down the corridor, Alec in tow, and talked like he hadn’t spent considerable time frozen in front of a painting. Seregil had given a brief summary of each painting’s historical significance, bar that one. Alec’s blood boiled with heated questions but everyone was entitled to their own secrets.

“Who was the man in the painting?” Damn. Alec decided that he really had to learn some self control.

Seregil stopped. Alec stared. Seregil turned to face Alec and his expression was neutral, disturbingly so.

“Nysander.”

The lack of inflection struck Alec’s heart. It was how he had talked about his father after his death. It may have been be a great misstep, and Alec may have been very, very wrong, but something told him that he wasn’t. Alec stepped into Seregil’s space, placed a hand on his shoulder and stared into the other man’s eyes for the first time.

“He meant a great deal to you. May he rest easy in the beyond and you in this life.” Alec murmured. There was more to say, but he was quickly getting lost in the grey depths of Seregil’s eyes.

A firm hand on his own shoulder startled Alec out of his reverie, they looked anywhere but Seregil. He saw the soft smile in his peripheral.

Seregil squeezed his shoulder lightly “I think he would have liked you, you’re sharp” Seregil said, and this time, when he took Alec’s wrist in his hand, it burned in way it hadn’t before.

They met Thero just as he was leaving the kitchen. Thero looked own, and down until he could make his displeasure known to his friend.

“I thought I was going to the kitchen and you were to stay in the living room”

Seregil smiled disarmingly as he took the plate, piled high with various dried fruits and cheese from Thero’s grasp and made to go back in the direction they had come.

“yeah, but you forgot the part where you told us to stay there”

“It was implied” Thero replied dryly, but Alec saw the quick twitch of a smile on his lips.

Seregil snapped the fingers of his free hand.

“Why don’t we breakfast in the conservatory, I’m sure Alec would love to see the grounds, wouldn’t you Alec?”

The question must have just been formality, as by now Seregil was more than aware of Alec’s inquisitive nature. Alec felt light and warmer than he had been in a long time, even before the curse. Strange as these two men were, they saw him, asked him questions and were actually interested in his answers. Granted, they didn’t seem keen to answer many of his questions yet, but Alec was a seasoned hunter and had learned when to be patient.

Thero tilted his head in thought,

“That sounds amiable; I do not know why I did not think of it”

“A nervous Thero is an absentminded Thero” Seregil whispered gleefully in Alec’s ear. The weariness that had weighed Alec down had begun to lift faster now, almost to the point that he felt almost young again, as they walked through a maze of rooms and connecting doors.

“Sorry about all this Alec, really, I tell myself I should spend a week with the intention of cleaning this entire house, but it’s organised chaos you see. I know where everything is, even though it may not seem like it. Yes, one more left turn and here we are!”

Alec thought he heard Seregil murmur “Nervous”, but everything had become background noise as his own thoughts took centre stage. The room they had entered was smaller than any he had seen, but the tall windows that enclosed the room and ceiling instead of walls made it feel as thought you were standing in the middle of nature, or at least that you were in a bubble detached from the world. Alec couldn’t be sure how he particularly felt about it.

A delicate white table and chairs sat in the middle of the room surrounded by numerous potted plants the like that Alec could never have imagined, even in his weirdest dreams. His legs moved mindlessly towards a large flowered in the brightest reds he had ever seen. When his fingers wandered to feel the thickness of a flowers stem he flinched in pain, only seeing the short sharp thorns hiding behind copious green leaves after they had pricked his finger.

Beyond the fauna was the world outside. The grass was lush and green, spattered with daisies and dandelions. A rainbow of birds chirped in the air and pecked at the ground. The circle room was enclosed again with a fence of trees, tall oaks that reached for the sun and almost made it. Alec’s eyes fell upon a single target, ringed with white and black stripes, a red bulls-eye in the middle. Alec’s was moved to smile and his heart soared like an loose arrow. He slid a hand toward his bow, held it close and just breathed.

“So... do you like it?” Seregil asked.

“Alec turned to Seregil and Thero, who had long since set the table and had just been watching Alec’s reactions.

“It’s nice” Alec said.

“A man of few words, I respect that” Seregil said, a chuckle in his words, and patted a spare chair in invitation. Alec accepted and sat down; he took a dried fig at Seregil’s encouraging nod.

Once the tea was poured, Thero interlocked his fingers and took a deep breath, as if he had a lot to say. And he did.

“You are undoubtedly wondering why you are here yes? Well, you can thank Ruetha. She is probably out on her travels again knowing her, but she did lead us to you for a reason. Before you ask, we don’t know what that reason is. For all the wondrous feats I am capable of, I cannot speak to cats’ or any animals for that matter. In any case, you are powerful Alec, more than you know if that incredulous look is anything to go by. You’re here to learn Alec, be our friend. You’re here so we can help you.”

If Alec were any other man, he may have rolled his eyes or hid from things he didn’t understand with denial. But Alec was a curious man above all else, and it would probably be his downfall one day, but taking everything, he had seen into consideration, Alec felt he could give them the benefit of the doubt. In all but one thing.

“You flatter me, but I am simply an old man, nothing more.”

Seregil and Thero shared a look before Seregil reached out to take one of Alec’s old cold hands in his warm youthful ones. It felt as though his previous good mood was gone and the aches and pains came back with an unfair vengeance.

“Alec” Seregil said softly “You are more than that and we will help you see it.”

“But how can I help you” Alec asked, not ready to believe just yet that he was something _more_.

Thero raised his eyebrows in surprise.

“We believe you can Alec, but you have to believe it yourself or it will not work. Magic is will and will is magic.”

At Alec’s incredulous expression, Seregil laughed, low and amused.

“Dont worry about it. I get the feeling you’re a quick learner. So, do you accept our help?

“Yes” Alec said, before he could talk himself out of it.

Thero’s eyes were soft and Seregil grinned. Alec tried to hide a small smile and thought it would be nice to be seen.

I take it back! I take it all back. Alec thought with a wince

It amazed Alec to no end how fast Seregil and Thero had warmed to his presence. And that meant feeling no remorse for the gruelling schedule Thero enforced with a determination that Alec didn’t know whether to feel admiration or fear.

“This might just be the dumbest test yet, and you’ve had me dunking for apples to ‘test my determination and depth perception’” Alec said, his tone dry. Seregil and Thero weren’t the only ones who felt free to speak their mind.

Seregils eyes seemed to twitch, but it was so slight that Alec couldn’t be sure.

“Yeah, I will admit that that test was just a game I made up. But that was before I started taking your lessons seriously. This test challenges your patience and the control you have over your body, skills that transfer to magic.”

“I’m balancing a cup and saucer filled with tea on my head” Alec deadpanned. He tried to cross his arms; the clink of ceramic stayed his hand.

Seregil crossed his arms instead, a smirk on his stupid, beautiful, smug face. If Seregil wasn’t drowning in fashionable lace, he wasn’t happy. Today’s outfit was a sky blue suit frilled with lace so white Alec wondered how he kept it clean. It was altogether elegant, like the man swathed in it.

It had only been a season, or so he had been told, since the day Seregil whisked him away from Rhiminee. One season and Alec had shed his old life like a snake sheds its skin, he still reminded himself that he was just an old man in the eyes of his friends, but he felt fresh and clean. Since that day Alec had never known cold, hunger or loneliness. He still had reservations about his friends claims that he had untapped magic potential. Alec thought he would know, that he would have felt it by now. However, his friends’ belief was strong and contagious. And so Alec sighed at lessons scheduled before the sun broke the horizon, grumbled when given nonsensical tasks, but he wouldn’t give up his present life for anything.

“Why, pray tell, does Alec have a cup on his head?”

Caught unaware by Thero’s sudden appearance, Seregil and Alec jumped. Luckily the contents had long gone cold, so when the tea spilt, Alec was just shocked by the chill and the cup and saucer shattered into countless pieces on the kitchen floor. It seemed to happen in slow motion for Alec. He saw the cracks grow before they scattered in every possible direction. Oh, Alec thought, that was one of Thero’s favourites. If only I could find every piece to put together again.

There were a series of low pitched sounds, like hailstones falling against a window. No matter how many times Alec saw feats of magic he was never any less amazed. So to Alec’s astonishment, thousands of variously sized shards hopped along the tiles. They came from under the fridge, down from the tables, one even slipped out from under Thero’s boot to throw themselves in a pile by Alec’s feet.

Nothing was said for a solid minute.

“That your handiwork Thero?” Seregil asked.

Thero shook his head “No, Alec?”

Alec shrugged. “I didn’t say anything.” Alec had seen Thero use magic before, but no matter the spell there was always a vocal component; a chant or a word to make channel a person’s will into the world. “I just thought about gather the pieces, even though I know its impossible.”

The remaining shards fell to the floor, lifeless.

One of Thero’s hands rested on Alec’s shoulder, the other held out as if to receive something. “Reædificabo” he said, like moths drawn to a flame, the ceramic shards flew into his palm and quickly resembled the cup it had been. When the last ceramic chips settled into place Thero set the cup down and his grip tightened on Alec’s shoulder. Alec tensed for a lecture, but Thero’s mouth wasn’t set in the way it normally did when he was in a dark mood. Instead, his eyes were wide and open.

“I have been mulling over a theory for quite a while now and I think it’s time I shared it with you.”

This time Alec looked to Seregil. Seeing that they were both equally confused calmed Alec’s nerves, slightly. He nodded at Thero.

Thero didn’t even suggest they discuss the matter over tea, which was the first suggestion that Thero meant business.

“You are both aware that to be a wizard one must be able to trace their linage back to an [Aurënfaie](https://nightrunner.fandom.com/wiki/Aur%C3%ABnfaie?action=edit&redlink=1) ancestor. My own ancestry goes back six generations, so it is a relatively new line of magic. Thus my magic is less diluted than that of someone that is the product of ten generations. The [Aurënfaie](https://nightrunner.fandom.com/wiki/Aur%C3%ABnfaie?action=edit&redlink=1) blood on our veins gets more diluted with every generation, and thus the magic gets weaker. Are you following me?” Thero asked, taking a second to breathe.

Alec nodded, he was, but he wasn’t sure he liked it.

“I believe your magic is as potent as it is because you have a close [Aurënfaie](https://nightrunner.fandom.com/wiki/Aur%C3%ABnfaie?action=edit&redlink=1) relative. Could you tell me about your parents or perhaps even your grand-parents?”

Seregil must have noticed the stiff line of Alec’s unease, as he shuffled over and offered his support by throwing an arm over the stiff line of his withered shoulders.

Alec swallowed slowly, grief squeezing his throat and giving a rough edge to his words.

“My father was a lot of things, but magic wasn’t one of them. He always kept me within arm’s reach, afraid to let me out of his sight as I was his only child. Nothing unusual ever happened around him. I never knew my mother. All I do know is that she died very soon after my birth and my father didn’t like to talk of her. He never even told me her name. He always had this distant look in his eye when I would ask about her as a child. I soon learned to stop asking. I’ve never met any other kin.” Alec’s hands hurt from his nails that dug into the meat of his palm. Although the subtle rub of Seregil’s hand on his arm helped ease his discomfort.

Thero stroked his beard contemplatively.

“With such little information I cannot prove or disprove my theory, but the results are still the same, you are powerful Alec. When I first laid eyes on you, I thought your elderly guise was to protect your identity. I tried to reverse the age spell, but your magic resisted it. I accepted that you had your reason. I realise now that you had no idea of your abilities. We know you are not old Alec. Magic is will and will is magic, try thinking about your true self.

I _am_ young!

The ache in his knee that had plagued Alec for the last week instantly dissipated. He looked down to see smooth hands, _his_ hands, free of varicose veins and flexible. Tears stung Alec eyes and let out a joyful cry as he pivoted and hugged Seregil, vitality seeping through every limb. He wanted to tell them everything, about the man in black clothes who had cursed him, but the words came out as puffs of air.

Thero feigned reluctance to join the hug, but Alec and Seregil persisted. Alec felt Thero smile in his now long golden hair.

“You do know that the real lessons begin in earnest now, right?”

Real lessons? “Yeah” Alec sighed.

Seregil chuckled. “I think those lessons can start tomorrow. Alec has a long awaited date with a certain bow.”

Before Seregil had even finished speaking Alec had extracted himself from the hug and walking purposefully towards the door.

“You like him” Thero said after Alec had left.

Knowing Seregil as well as he did, Thero expected Seregil to say something along the lines of ‘he’s interesting’ or something as vague as a smirk. He wasn’t ready for the answer.

“A lot”

This threw Thero through several loops and left him a little lost for words in the face of such unexpected honesty. Before he could say anything in return, Alec stuck his head back around the door frame, a familiar blush dusting his fair cheeks.

“I’ve forgotten the way to my room, for God’s sake just draw me a map or something!”

Seregil laughed, loud and fond.

“Catch you later Thero, join us in the garden if you get a chance.”

A warmth settled in Thero’s heart as he watched them go, playfully bickering all the way, and loved them both a little more.

The End.


End file.
